Feature: Chinese books draw Thai fans at Bangkok Int'l Book Fair

BANGKOK, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Holding several books, including one on China's high-quality development, 51 year-old Wisan Chedi was searching for more books at a Chinese book exhibition booth at the Bangkok International Book Fair 2023.

"By reading the books, I'd like to know how China has achieved such rapid social and economic development over the past decades," Wisan said.

Fascinated by the Chinese culture and China's economic and social achievements, Wisan, a civil servant in Thailand's aviation sector, wanted to learn more about China and started to learn Chinese in 2006. He can now read Chinese books and speak basic words and phrases.

"As a major country, China pursues win-win cooperation, promoting cooperation with other countries for mutual benefits," he said, adding that China focuses on making everyone more prosperous, and Thailand can learn a lot from China, in terms of governance and economic policies.

Grabbing another book about economics of China's opening-up, Wisan said he is also interested in topics such as the Chinese modernization and the renminbi (RMB) internationalization, and is planning to visit China via the China-Laos railway.

The 11-day book fair, which ended Sunday, did not only attract Chinese book fans like Wisan, but also Thai industry players amid closer cooperation and exchanges between the two countries.

At the book fair, Thailand's publishing house Hongsamut signed a contract with China's Elephant Publishing House on introducing the latter's book series of national parks into Thailand.

The book series, written for kids, are interesting stories about China's national parks. "They are quality books for children and the stories focus on environmental protection. We believe Thai children and parents would love the books," said Ken Yu, license director with Hongsamut.

Ken, who has been working in the industry for more than 10 years, said Thai readers are interested in a wide range of China-related topics and are keen to better understand China via Chinese books.

Besides children's books, Chinese books about poverty reduction, governance as well as finance, economics and trade development are also welcomed by Thai readers as they are curious about how China was able to achieve such rapid development in such a short period of time, he said.

With cultural affinity, it's easier for Thai readers to understand Chinese novels, which are also popular in Thailand, he said.

Under a contract signed between China's Xiamen International Book Company Ltd. (XIBC) and Thailand's Mangmoom Culture Co. Ltd., one of "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles," a best-selling Chinese young-adult novel series that tells of the grave-robbing exploits of a young man from a family of tomb raiders, would be introduced into Thailand with another two novels.

Besides physical books, the XIBC is also seeking cooperation with Thai companies to promote Chinese audiobooks in the Southeast Asian country. At the book fair, the XIBC held a panel discussion about audiobooks, which attracted Thailand's publishing houses, audiobook producers, audiobook service providers and book translators.

"They are all very interested. We have reached preliminary cooperation intention with Thai partners. We hope this will help boost overseas readers' access to Chinese books, helping them read more about China and better understand China," said Wu Yunxi, XIBC's board director and vice general manager.